About Us

Mission

World Change Through Education.

Vision

We envision a world filled with joyful people, equipped to make a difference in the world.

Launched in 2014, Reading Around the World began when Carissa Mallory, then fourteen years old, learned from her aunt Theo that the majority of girls in Tanzania had already dropped out of school by the time they were her age. Carissa was shocked and dismayed that young girls just like her had no opportunity to get an education.

Studying the problem, Carissa learned that English language fluency is one factor contributing to Tanzania’s high dropout rate. Students who can’t read and write English are unable to pass the entrance exams for secondary school.

Carissa had an epiphany one day as she looked at her personal book collection. Certain that the love of reading she’d gained from those books would be contagious, she believed that the same joy and enthusiasm would be shared by children in Tanzania. If they read enough English language picture books, they would learn English so they could pass the entrance exams to secondary school and be able to continue their education.

Reading Around the World Literacy Initiative was established as a 501(c)3 charity to provide a gathering place for family, friends and others with a love for children and literacy to share our books, ideas and financial resources so that more Tanzanian children can continue their education. We value your partnership as we work to bring hope to the teachers and students in one of the poorest nations in the world.

Our mission is to promote world change through education. We are fulfilling this mission in Tanzania, where we have established relationships with education administrators to improve the quality of education in the Ilala School District.

RAWLI believes that education is the most important force driving world change and key to the eradication of persistent poverty in developing nations. We have a genuine passion for learning and students and delight in the smiles of eager learners around the world.

RAWLI volunteers have collected over 13,000 books, shipped 350 desks and chairs and developed an educational app to help Swahili speaking students learn English. In a collaborative effort with local Tanzanian businesses and artists, in 2018 RAWLI organized and taught a STEAM camp at two school campuses, teaching students science, technology, engineering, arts and math. RAWLI continues to support education in Tanzania with teacher training, and by supporting two schools with a technology teacher in support of the English and ICT curriculum developed by the Tanzania Ministry of Education.

RAWLI supports literacy programs at Tanzanian primary schools by building school libraries within existing classrooms. Books are collected during book drives and an annual holiday book drive in partnership with Barnes & Noble.

We support the Tanzanian Ministry of Education’s ICT curriculum by helping schools build technology centers and by supporting schools with wireless internet service. RAWLI has donated 61 tablets and laptops for primary schools in the Ilala School District.

About Reading Around the World

Reading Around the World was established in 2014 to promote world change through education. Our work is currently based in Tanzania where we are working to promote the goals of Tanzania’s Ministry of Education and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.